Polaris - The Mortal Coil (2017)^{Release ID: 17391}

The passing of Polaris lead guitarist Ryan Siew was the tragic loss of a young talented lad, and I wanted to make sure the legacy of his work carries on. So it's time for me to look back at his amazing work, leading up to the band's latest album and his final one that is the October Revolution feature release. RIP Ryan Siew...

Going back to their debut, The Mortal Coil is their first full-length album after two EPs, Dichotomy and The Guilt & The Grief. This Sydney-based band can really shine in the Australian metalcore scene along with Northlane, In Hearts Wake, and The Amity Affliction, although they have more in common with Northlane's sound with their technical metalcore style. The Mortal Coil has opened up a new dimension! One that covers the hardcore side of While She Sleeps and the technicality of Periphery.

Kicking off the album is "Lucid", a solid tech-metalcore single with a sweet balanced blend of breakdowns and solos. Next track "The Remedy" is less technical, more focused on hooks of pride. That one's a highlight for its superb contrast between bassist Jake Steinhauser's clean singing and frontman Jamie Hails' unclean shouts. "Relapse" starts with Periphery-like intro riffing and carries on in a good pace. Brilliant standout "Consume" is pure technical metalcore throughout the song. It's an incredible highlight with the best of Ryan's guitar leads. He and rhythm guitarist Rick Schneider put their work out in sharp delivery that barely any other band could.

Next track "Frailty" is another essential track for metalcore fans, especially in the riffing and breakdowns. Jake Steinhauser makes his own attempt at unclean vocals alongside his usual cleans. With lots of intense energy, many Polaris fans would love to hear the band perform this live. "In Somnus Veritas" can be considered the album's intermission, a short slow track that shows the band's atmospheric side. "Dusk to Day" has Jamie Hails performing his own clean singing, but his growls are still around.

"Casualty" brings back the earlier heaviness. It's another masterpiece of a song that blasts away those preceding two slow tracks. While there's a lot of that tech-metalcore sound going on, they haven't stopped performing the more atmospheric sections. "The Slow Decay" has more standard metalcore. It first started off as a filler track for me at first listen, but has grown on me since. Following this is "Crooked Path", taking on more of their earlier heaviness as another smashing tech-metalcore hit with a clean chorus to sing along to. "Sonder" is a more experimental progressive closing track. It builds up gradually to a massive climax that makes you want to listen to the album again.

The Mortal Coil is a killer start of the band's album trio. Polaris has really been shaping up the Australian metalcore scene. And this incredible glory hasn't stopped there, as their later albums continue to display their destined greatness!

Favorites: "The Remedy", "Consume", "Frailty", "Casualty", "Crooked Path", "Sonder"